The Zafara Assassin
by meratocat
Summary: In a time where it was a commonplace to see a knight walking through the streets, there lived an assassin...
1. Default Chapter

The Zafara Assassin by: meratocat  
  
Part 1  
  
// In every world there are the heroes. Heroes who save their land from whatever evil has befallen it. They are the ones who help keep the balance between everyone so that their world is at peace. Also in every world there are the villains. They are the ones who try and break the balance, but are always stopped by the heroes. But what about the ones that every one forgets; the ones who take no side. They are the ones who are both good and evil. These creatures take many names for themselves, and one of them is the assassin. This is the story of a zafara who lives by her wits, and not just any zafara. She is the zafara assassin. //  
  
I ran down the stairs with cries of "Stop that zafara!" and "Get the murderer!" following me. I ignored the cries for my first priority was escape. I was halfway down the stairs when I noticed that a gelert and a kyrii were coming up the stairs after me. At the top of the stairs, a few more pets were coming down towards me. I looked to the right where a stained glass window was; it was my only chance of escape. I watched and waited as the pets crept in closer to me, thinking that they had me cornered, then I drew out my green handled dagger. "Watch out, she has a dagger." The gelert yelled backing up.  
  
I sneered at him "All the better to escape with." And I threw the dagger at the window, shattering it. I jumped through the window pane and ran to the edge of the roof wiping the sweat off my brow. Behind me I saw the pets start to climb out through the window so I looked down at the ground. It wasn't that high of a drop, so I jumped, my blue cape waving with the wind as I fell to the ground. Then, after picking my blade off the ground, I ran into the forest my brown tunic and pants providing me camouflage against the neopets sitting baffled looking for me on the roof. I had completed my mission.  
  
I am Zarrel Charmain. I am the zafara assassin, known as the red ghost to my victims, the best in the job to my employers. Master of disguise, my job is to target and destroy whomever I am assigned to.  
  
I took off my gloves and carefully hung them besides my dagger, for my gloves are one of the most important items in my job. They let me work without leaving fingerprints and they provide a grip for holding on to my dagger, so I could not risk them being ripped or torn as I made my way threw the night.  
  
There was no moon this night, however from years of living out in the forests I had no trouble finding my way home. I walked through the forest, the trees branches scratched over my back, and I couldn't help but give a small shiver. The rocks in front of me were practically invisible, but I still made it over and around them without any problems. I walked closer and closer towards home until I saw the large oak that marked where I lived. Once I was home I walked over and sat down on a rock beside my sleeping mat and from my bag of provisions I took out a needle and some thread, and I started patching up a hole in my tunic. "With what you get paid you should probably just buy a new tunic." My airax Tarnox said, landing on my shoulder.  
  
"Well this tunic is lucky. I am not just going to through it away, and besides the patches should help me blend in better instead of being a solid color." I said stroking the feathers on his head, his favorite part to be scratched on. They were as soft as anything I could possibly imagine. "Now go and find another perch. It is hard to sew when an airax is on your shoulder." Tarnox smiled and he flew over to a branch, ruffled his feathers, and closed his eyes.  
  
"Goodnight Zarrel Charmain." He said to me then when I herd the soft noises of his breath quiet I knew that he was asleep.  
  
Tarnox and I had been together for many years. I had found Tarnox in the burning rubble of a house, where his past owner had left him to die. I made my way through the flames, and saved him. Since then, him and I have been together at all times.  
  
Finished with sewing up my tunic, I put the needle and thread away then I laid down on my sleeping mat, pulled a warm blanket over me, and fell asleep listening to crickets chirp, and all the soft murmurs of the night.  
  
I awoke to the sound of chirping birds, and to the morning suns glair. I got up and took a couple of eggs from my pack, built up a fire, then started to cook breakfast for Tarnox and me. Tarnox woke just as the eggs were finished so I put his egg on a plate and put it down next to me. "Quickly finish up your breakfast Tarnox for we are leaving for Teralk's headquarters to get my pay in about one fourth an hour." Teralk was one of my many employers, and he owed me my pay for completing my job.  
  
Later on I was walking towards Teralk's HQ with my provisions pack over one shoulder and Tarnox on the other. The morning sun was at my back making our shadows twice as long a usual. Tarnox lifted his wings up and down to watch his shadow grow and shrink. "Look Zarrel," he said, "I am bigger then you." He said lifting his wings. "Now I am smaller again." He said putting his wings back down.  
  
I laughed at Tarnox, "You are a great friend, and partner." I said rubbing his head feathers  
  
. Soon Teralk's HQ was in sight so I quickened my pace. I walked up to the front gate where two tonu stood guard. "State your name and business!" the red one roared at me.  
  
"Must I say this every time? I am Zarrel Charmain, and I come here to receive my pay from Teralk for completing my assignment."  
  
The other tonu, a blue one, said, "Wait here." And he walked inside the gate. He appeared a little bit later and said, "Follow me." He led Tarnox and me around several buildings, and up and down a few flights of stairs to try and confuse me to where the location of Teralk was, yet because I have already been through this so many times I could find the location of Teralk no problem. Finally, the blue tonu stopped us at a large door that was laden with designs, and said, "Enter here."  
  
"That guard doesn't talk much. All he can handle is two words a sentence." Tarnox said in my ear while eyeing the blue tonu.  
  
"When we are inside, and in Teralk's presents keep your head held high Tarnox." I said to my airax.  
  
"I won't forget Zarrel Charmain!" Tarnox said  
  
"Also keep quiet!" I hissed to Tarnox as we walked towards the door with Tarnox nodding to show that he understood.  
  
I walked in hard eyed and stiff shouldered, as an assassin should be when approaching an employer. The room was dimly lit with just one window, so it seemed as if the room was filled with a blue glow. I walked up to Teralk who was standing looking out the window surveying his fortress. Teralk turned and faced me. He was a fire lupe, strong eyed, and muscular. "So Zarrel Charmain," he said with a sneer, "you have destroyed the kyrii lord's son?"  
  
"Yes Teralk, now that will be 2000 as agreed." I said sternly, slitting my eyes, for I did not want to have been cheated.  
  
"Yes, take your neopkins." He held out the bag of neopoints to me, which I snatched up. Holding the bag I started to make my way out of the room. "Hold up Zarrel Charmain, I have a job offering for you. One that is dangerous, and involves your skill, for you are the greatest, and the most experienced assassin alive." Teralk looked at me to make sure that he had my attention.  
  
"Yes go on." I said ready for another job.  
  
Teralk then continued, "Of course, one can expect to be paid a hefty sum of neopkins for this job." And Teralk grinned at me, showing all of his white teeth, knowing that I wouldn't turn him down.  
  
"What kind of job?" I said to Teralk staring into his eyes.  
  
"Well Zarrel Charmain, do you know Pailoth?" Teralk said his knife-tip teeth showing through his smile again.  
  
"Of course I know him. He is the prince of this country. He is destined to become the king." I practically yelled to Teralk for I hated it when creatures started to play guessing games with me.  
  
"He is your target Zarrel Charmain. I want you to destroy the prince of this country. I am offering 8,000 neopkins. What do you say?" Teralk snickered evilly towards me. He knew that I would raise the price.  
  
"There will be many guards, so 30,000 and I want to be paid in advance." I bargained expecting Teralk to lower the price like any employer would do.  
  
"Deal! A perfect price for the best assassin in the land." And Teralk handed me the neopoints. At first I was dumbfounded, but almost immediately I recovered my wit. That was too easy I thought to myself. He didn't even ask for a lower price, I knew he had something up his sleeves. Perhaps something that had to do with my new job, but what?  
  
Teralk sent Tarnox and me out, and we walked through his HQ led by the blue tonu until we exited the main gate. Then the two tonus had us take our leave.  
  
As we walked out of sight of his HQ Tarnox asked me "Did that seem a little bit too easy, or was it just me."  
  
"Okay I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that things are a little weird." And I rubbed his feathers. "Lets go put these neopoints back at our camp, I want to travel light so that we can have speed on our side."  
  
I jogged back to my camp, for the sooner I left to do my job the better. Once there I unloaded my pay, and I rolled up my sleeping mat. I then grabbed a few items that could help me, and after that I left with Tarnox flying just above my head.  
  
As we walked on and more of the day passed I motioned for Tarnox to come closer, "Tarnox, fly up into the sky and tell me if anyone is coming." I continued walking through the forest, my airax high in the sky above me checking to make sure that no one ran into me.  
  
As the day dragged on and the sun went lower on the horizon nothing much happened at all. Even Tarnox did not have to warn me of any creature that might be a problem. When it got darker I called Tarnox in for I did not want us to be separated by the coming night, so I walked on with Tarnox on my shoulder "Where are we going exactly, anyways?" Tarnox asked me.  
  
"We are headed for the kings castle over in south Laxcorna. There we can find a way to destroy prince Pailoth." I said to Tarnox. As we walked I looked at the pendant that I used to hold my cape on. It was shining gold with the suns last rays of light. It was made for me especially; shaped like a skull to show that I was an assassin. It was like my symbol standing proud on my front.  
  
I looked up into the sky, the clouds a golden pink color. Rays of yellow shot through the clouds, and rays of blue and green covered the sky. The sun was a giant golden yellow sphere on the horizon. It had clouds going through it to give to it an even more dazzling appearance then it already had. "I love sunsets." I said to Tarnox. "Them and sunrises."  
  
"So do I Zarrel. All the colors make it look as if all the great painters of the world flew up and painted a lovely picture right in the sky."  
  
We sat there watching as the sun went down a sliver at a time, until all that was left was a tiny sliver on the horizon. Then that went away also. I stood up with Tarnox on my shoulder, and started walking just as the first star appeared in the sky.  
  
Tarnox and I went on under the stars for most of the night, and we made camp only when we breached the rim of the forest for the forest provides safety and cover. I unrolled my sleeping mat and laid it out while Tarnox found a suitable branch to sleep on. "Good night Tarnox. Sleep well for in the morning we shall complete our job."  
  
"Good night Zarrel Charmain" Tarnox said. I looked into the sky at the millions of stars wondering how many there were, and then I fell asleep.  
  
I woke up in the morning and got right to work on disguising myself for I could not go out looking for prince Pailoth looking like what I was, an assassin. I reached into my pack pulling out all of the necessary items I would need, then I was ready to disguise myself. First I put on a shawl, and then I placed a bonnet over my head shadowing my face to cover my identity. I took of my cape, folded it, and packed it up. Then I put on an overly large jacket, which concealed my belt, which held my dagger. After that I put on a knee long skirt, and an apron. For finishing touches I rubbed dirt over my face and arms, so I appeared as a common working maiden.  
  
I put our breakfast on the fire, and cooked some bacon strips for Tarnox and me. I had just finished making and eating breakfast when Tarnox awoke "Wow, you look awful Zarrel Charmain. You can hardly see your bright red features with that hat and that dirt all over you. A good thing no one will recognize you, because what would they say." He said.  
  
"That's the point of a disguise Tarnox, to have no one recognize you. Now hurry up and eat so we can get going."  
  
I was of by the hour Tarnox on my shoulder, and as we walked into the city of Laxcorna I whispered to Tarnox "Keep your head bent. We have to keep up our disguise as a working maiden and her Airax, so we can't be walking proudly with our heads held high. Working maidens just don't walk around that way." And then we continued into Laxcorna.  
  
I walked shoulders slumped and head lowered through the city towards the kings castle, which stood on top of a hill in the center of the city. No one even paid us a glance as we walked up towards the castles front gate. "Okay Tarnox, we will just blend in with the other workers so that we can get in."  
  
Luckily for us, at the front gate there was a group of maids walking into the castle, so I walked over, and got into the middle of their group. I walked with them, all of them jabbering about how much work there was to be done. Just when there jabbering was starting to get on my nerves we approached the castle gates of Prince Pailoth, and we were able to pass the guards without a secant glance.  
  
As soon as I was in I ran out of the annoying group of workers, and ran down a hall into an unoccupied room. "Well what's the plan?" Tarnox asked me.  
  
I grinned "while we walked through the city I heard several creatures talking about a banquet tonight in honor of the king."  
  
"And." said Tarnox.  
  
"And as the tradition goes the first person to eat or drink to the kings health will be the creature next in line to the throne, and that creature is prince Pailoth." I reached into my pack and took out a glass vile half full. "We could just put a little poison into his food, and we would finish the job without any problems. Now we have to go and find the kitchens so that I can pour some of this into Pailoth's plate."  
  
"Good plan Zarrel Charmain. Lets go."  
  
I put the vile back into my bag and I started to walk around looking for the kitchens. I was searching around the hallways looking for the kitchens when a door opened up in front or me. I ran into a vacant room out of sight of whoever was coming out of the door. I put my ear up to the door, and I listened as their footsteps grew fainter and fainter, then I came out of the room. I was just about to start up my search for the kitchens again when a voice sounded behind me. "Hey you! Who are you and what are you doing here!" 


	2. 2

Part 2  
  
I slowly turned to face the creature that had caught me and there stood a young yellow zafara who had a helmet and a green vest on. "I asked who are you?" he said to me, and by his look I could tell that he was inexperienced, and would be easy to trick. All I had to do was to come up with a lie that sounded reasonable.  
  
I walked up to him holding both of my hands in front of me, "I just got separated from my fellow workers, and when I was trying to find them I got lost. Now I can't find the kitchens so I can't help prepare the food. It is only my first week working here, and I am not yet used to this castle. Do you think that maybe you could lead me to the kitchens? " I lied to him looking as innocent as I could.  
  
He smiled at me and said, "I will help you find your way back to the kitchens. I had trouble finding my way around here my first few days. By the way my name is Corinth, what is yours?"  
  
"I am Skitrey." I quickly said to hide my identity. "And this is Dorono." I said pointing to Tarnox.  
  
"Follow me Skitrey, I will take you to the kitchens." Corinth, having fell for my lie, took Tarnox and me right to the kitchens. I felt like laughing aloud, because of the fact of how dumb Corinth was, but I kept my wits around me and kept quiet. When we got o the kitchens Corinth bid us farewell. "Goodbye Skitrey, goodbye Dorono. May we meet again." And he walked off leaving Tarnox and me to finish our job.  
  
"Dorono, Skitrey, what kind of names are those Zerral Charmain?" Tarnox said to me chuckling. "Maybe next time you could think up some better names."  
  
"They are names that I had to come up with in a moments notice Dorono."  
  
"Hey! Don't you start calling me that Zarrel." Tarnox said grinning. "If you start that I will start calling you Skitrey."  
  
"Okay Tarnox as soon as we get out of this castle we will never use those names again."  
  
"Good."  
  
"But Tarnox, as long as we are in this castle we will use those names okay."  
  
"Okay." And we walked into the doors that lead to the kitchens; both of us were ready to do our job.  
  
Inside many workers were running around preparing food and getting plates ready. While they were doing that I had to find the plate that would be served to prince Pailoth, that was the only plate that I could put the poison on, and I had to be right for I had only enough poison left for one plate. I walked around looking for the plate that was Prince Pailoth's, and just when I thought that I never would find the right plate I saw the plate that would be his. Luckily for me a plate was laid out with a nametag on it that said: Reserved for Prince Pailoth. This was going to be easy.  
  
I put on my gloves, and then I reached into my bag and pulled out the vile. I put the gloves on, because I didn't want to risk getting any of that deadly poison on my hands. I then loosened the top, and I poured half of what was left on Pailoth's food, the other half into his drink. I put the empty vile back into my pack, and had just put my gloves away when I heard someone coming. I had to get going.  
  
I slunk off into the bathroom to change my disguise once more. I took off the working maiden outfit and I started to dress as a noble. I put on a long flowing red dress and I washed the dirt off of me and straitened up my hair. I put on a necklace and I put a bracelet on my left wrist. I even tried to make Tarnox look nobler. I put a petite, lightweight cape on him that fit over his wings, and then I walked out with him on my shoulder.  
  
The feast was about ready to begin so I went over and I got a seat at a big long table in the main dining hall. Soon, after all the guests had arrived trumpets blared to announce that the king was entering. He walked in a tall, proud kougra. His daughter, the usul princess, was on his left wearing a blue gown. His son, the shoyru Prince Pailoth, on his right side. The princess and the prince helped their father into his seat, and then they too sat down.  
  
The food was then served. Many workers filed out of the kitchen putting plates filled with food in front of all the hungry guests and to the royals. I smiled to myself when prince Pailoth picked up his glass and toasted "To my father, the kings, good health." Then he drank the poison never to know that it would be his last drink in this world. The other guests lifted their glasses and drank to that, and then the feasting began.  
  
I slowly ate, keeping my eyes on Pailoth as he scoffed his food down. Soon the poison would take its affect, and then I could leave. I was holding some food up for Tarnox to eat when someone cried, "What is wrong with the prince? Is he chocking?" I looked up, the poison was working, and soon Pailoth would collapse.  
  
The princess Laiondite was at his side asking what was wrong when Pailoth collapsed to the floor. Laiondite bent down to assist him back up then she let out a bloodcurdling scream. "The prince is dead! My brother, the prince is dead!" every one gasped and panic went out about the guests.  
  
That was my queue, as every one jumped out of their seats and flocked over to Laiondite, I got up and made my way towards the exit. I ran up to the exit, and two guards blocked my path. "Prince Pailoth is dead!" I yelled to try to get the guards out of my way, but they didn't even budge.  
  
"So we've heard." One of them said to me, "Kings orders that no one comes in or goes out until we get to the bottom of this."  
  
I was stuck, and if I could not talk my way out I would have to fight my way out. I pulled out my dagger and said, "Let me pass, or prepare to fight."  
  
"Your just a maiden. You can't put up much of a fight, so don't even try." The guard said making me extremely angry.  
  
I swung my blade at him making him jump back, a shallow gash on his left arm, "Let me by or be destroyed!" I said fire blazing in my eyes.  
  
The two guards each pulled out a sword and stood in a battle stance. "You can still just back down, and we will just forget that this ever happened maiden."  
  
"I don't back down to any one!" I jumped forward swinging my blade and then defending myself from both of them at the same time. Tarnox was off my shoulder and he was in the air diving at the two guards attacking with his beak and talons. I swung my blade forwards at the one guard, and then I swung it backwards defending my back from the other. I was fighting with all my strength, and skill, but even so I was being pushed back, for it was hard to fight in a dress. I swung my blade wildly at the two of them making them back off, and in that split second I ran past both of them Tarnox close in the air behind me.  
  
Some guards on the roof fired a number of arrows at me, nearly all of which I dodged effortlessly, but one made me jump to the side, and it almost hit my right ear. As I ran I threw off the dress I had on, and stuffed it in my bag to make running easier, and Tarnox wiggled out of the cape that he had on. Soon I was out of range of the arrows, but I still kept on running, for it was not smart to stop until I made it back to the security of the forest.  
  
When I reached the forests outskirts I turned around to see a group of creatures coming after me. "We will head into the forest until we find adequate protection. Then we will wait until our pursuers loose us or give up, and then we will head for Teralk's fortress." I said to Tarnox as I continued to run.  
  
"Okay, you lead the way" he said, so I held out my arm for him to land on, and I continued into the pitch-black forest.  
  
Being used to running in the dark I ran past tree and rock getting farther and farther away from the orange glow of my pursuers torches as they searched the dark for me. I ran until I found the perfect place to wait out my pursuers. Two boulders had collapsed on each other creating a small cave. The cave was open at both ends, so that if one end was discovered I still had another end to escape through. I crawled inside, and although it had a musty smell, and wasn't the most comfortable spot to rest, it would do.  
  
I sat in the dark silently with Tarnox dozing on my arm. I could wait without moving until dawn if I had to, and I was not going to give myself away unless I had to. Suddenly from the end I had entered a howl echoed waking Tarnox. "Drat!" I cursed and I jumped up and ran out the other end of the cave. "Tarnox they have tracking gelerts with them. They will track up if we continue on the ground. We have to go into the trees." And with help from my blade I climbed up into a tree.  
  
Once I was high in the tree I could see my pursuers clearly. There were two tracker gelerts and about fifteen different creatures after me. I had to go before they got any closer. This time my only advantage was a head start, and I had to hurry for my progress would be slow in the trees. I scampered past branches, and I put my hand in front of my face to protect it from the leaves. Fortunately for me the trees in this area of the forest grew close together, so that most of the time branches from one tree touched branches from the next, so I did not have to worry about jumping.  
  
I heard another howl, and so I looked behind me just in time to see a usul holding a dagger between his teeth hurry up the tree with a pteri flying up close behind him. I rushed through the branches trying to get out of sight of the usul, because one of the last things that I wanted was to fight a usul blade to blade twenty feet in the air. Even so that ended up being what happened. Having the fact that the usul is a tree creature no matter how fast I went he caught up to me. As he neared me I knew that I had no chance but to fight so I turned, pulling out my dagger and faced him.  
  
We each swung our daggers at each other, and he used his advantage of being able to jump around the tree to attack me. Even with his advantages I was coming out at the top. I was forcing him to back away from my blade when he tripped over a branch dropping his dagger. I walked up to him helpless, lying on the ground. Even I have morals and it wrong to attack an enemy who does not have a weapon, so I gave him a stern face and I started to walk away. Suddenly from the side the pteri rammed into me knocking me off the branch. I grabbed the edge of the branch with my hand as I fell. Tarnox flew over and attacked the pteri, and the two of them fell towards the ground talons locked, snapping at each other with their beaks. I watched them near the ground, but at the last second Tarnox unhooked his talons and flew back into the air, but the pteri wasn't as fast. After Tarnox let go it tried spreading its wings, but it was too slow and hit the ground with a large thud, and lay still.  
  
Tarnox landed on the branch above me as I grabbed on with my other hand. I got my face up to the branch when I saw behind Tarnox the usul waking over. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a concealed dagger, and held it in the air to bring down on Tarnox. "No!" I yelled as I swung my arm into Tarnox knocking him to the side as the dagger crashed down into the tree branch. With this motion I slipped almost falling off the branch to my doom. No one could survive a fall from this height so I had to hold on for dear life. The usul walked over to the area above me. He scowled, and then he stepped on my hand making me draw it to my side. I howled in pain, but I still had one hand left holding me up. The usul put his foot above my other hand, and he said, "So long. Assassin!" He began to bring his foot down, but before he hit my hand Tarnox rammed into him pushing him off the branch next to me. He held on with one hand as he used the other to swing his dagger at me. He slashed it at me giving me a shallow gash across my belly. I held on with both hands scooting across the branch to try and get out of range of the usul. He swung his blade at me once more, but with that last attack he lost his balance and he fell from the branch leaving me holding on to branch as he fell to his death.  
  
I little by little climbed back up onto the branch and sat next to Tarnox. "Tarnox get a long piece of fabric out from my pack." So Tarnox walked over to my pack and dug around in it, and then he walked back over to me carrying a long strip of dark red fabric in his beak. I took it from him and rapped it around my waist making sure that it covered the gash that I had gotten from the usul. "Let's go Tarnox. We have a long walk in front of us." So I slowly walked through the trees back towards home with Tarnox perched on my shoulder.  
  
I woke up at dawn still up high in the trees. I woke up Tarnox who wasn't too far from me. "I think that we can get down from the trees now Tarnox." And I climbed down the tree, and I stretched once I was on the ground. "Lets hurry Tarnox, for we do not want to keep Teralk waiting."  
  
"You can hardly even tell that you were in a life and death situation last night Zarrel Charmain." Tarnox said snickering at me, "Except that you have a large piece of cloth stretched across your belly."  
  
"Your right Tarnox, I'll have to fix that." So I took the fabric off of my waist revealing a gash that looked worse then it really was. I took my needle and string out, and I sewed up the rip in my tunic, and then I put my cape back on. "Okay Tarnox, now we can go." I got up and started walking towards Teralk's HQ.  
  
As we neared Teralk's HQ Tarnox bent over and whispered into my ear "Zarrel, there is someone following us. At first I wasn't sure, but now I am certain that I hear footsteps behind us."  
  
"Yes I know." I said to Tarnox. "They have been following us since we got out of the tree. I really do not want to have to fight someone again, so I will just let them follow us." Tarnox nodded and we continued with some followers.  
  
I walked up to the gates of Teralk's fortress, and at them the same two tonu stood guard. "State your name and business!" roared the red one.  
  
" I really am starting to get sick of this. This must be about the fifteenth time I have come her in the past four months. I am Zarrel Charmain, and I come here to see Teralk because I have finished my assignment!" I yelled out.  
  
The blue tonu stamped his foot in front of mine "Teralk is expecting you. You are permitted to enter. I followed him inside and then he had us follow him all around the fortress trying to confuse me once more to the location of Teralk. Normally I completely ignore the surroundings for I have seen them so often, but this time we went into a room I had never seen before on the wall many shields and swords were hung up. Also there were about fifty different styles of armor and chain mail. I stared in amazement at how large the room was. At the opposite end I was at there even was a group of creatures using a giant stove to create more weapons. The tonu led me out of the room, and the rest of the way to Teralk's chamber.  
  
I walked inside the chamber and went up to Teralk who was sitting facing his window. "Zarrel Charmain I presume that you have completed your assignment."  
  
"You presume right. Now I shall take my leave." And I started to walk out, but before I got more than three steps Teralk snapped his fingers, and the guards shut the door.  
  
"Not yet Zarrel Charmain. You are not leaving this room until I say." Teralk started. "You have worked for me these past years and not once have you failed. So I tested your abilities on prince Pailoth, and you came out great. Yet I am surprised that you never have asked why I employ you."  
  
"A good assassin does not need to know why they are employed, but just that they have to do their job." I said a little confused at the way Teralk was acting.  
  
"Even so I will tell you why I always have employed you. I have been working on a plan that will get me the kingdom of Laxcorna, and any time anyone got close to discovering what I was planning I sent you out to destroy them. I had you destroy prince Pailoth, because he was young and strong, but his father is old and weak, and without protection from his son. Tonight I will march out to destroy the old king Tantro and then I will rule over this land as king. Join up with me Zarrel Charmain, and we can rule this kingdom side by side."  
  
I looked at Teralk, appalled by his act. "I would never join up with a filthy rat like yourself Teralk." I said right to his face.  
  
"You should not have said that Zerral Charmain. For that I will have you thrown into the dungeons. Guards! Take her away." Slowly the door guards got up and started walking towards me. Tarnox and I were being backed against the wall when Tarnox jumped off my shoulder and flew at the guards flapping his wings in their faces and clawing at them. I jumped back into the middle of the room, and pulled out my dagger to help Tarnox fight off the guards. I was so busy fighting the guards that I didn't see Teralk walk up behind me and lift his sword into the air ready to strike, but Tarnox did. He flew at the lupe's face slashing with his talons "Kill the airax!" Teralk yelled "Kill it!" he swatted off Tarnox who flew out the window. As Tarnox turned to come back for another attack one of the guards put an arrow on his bow, and pulled back the string to fire.  
  
"Tarnox, no!!!" I yelled, but it was too late the arrow left the string and hit Tarnox on his unprotected back. Tears streaked down my face as his crumpled body fell from the sky. All the fight was gone from me, so I just sat there looking out the window as the guards walked over to me. They picked me up and carried me off to the dungeon. They tossed me into the cell, and then they walked off locking the door. I stood up, and slowly walked up to the one window. I looked outside, and one more tear slid down my cheek. 


	3. 3

Part 3 Meanwhile back at the Laxcorna castle the usul princess sits in her room waiting.  
  
The usul princess Laiondite patiently sat on her bed listening for the knock that was sure to come. When she heard it she ran over and opened the door. "Corinth, thanks for coming." She said to the young yellow zafara. "The last words Pailoth spoke to me were his telling me to catch the one who had poisoned his drink." Laiondite looked towards the ground, "I know before I even ask that daddy won't let me leave which is why I need you to help me get out."  
  
"I am at your service princess Laiondite." Corinth said bowing.  
  
"First of all try to not draw attention towards me. I don't want anyone knowing that I am the princess. Lets go now."  
  
Corinth and Laiondite worked together tying Laiondite's bed sheets and curtains together until they had a long rope to climb down. "Lets go!" Corinth said, and they climbed out of Laiondite's window, and down the castle walls unnoticed. Thus, they began their search for me.  
  
Laiondite and Corinth made their way through the city, and then they were at the forest. Corinth went in first with Laiondite close behind him. They were unaware that they were following my trail as they continued slowly through the dark forest. They walked past the cave that Tarnox and I had rested in, and then they came up to the place were I had climbed up the tree to escape my pursuers. Slowly they were edging their way towards me.  
  
Suddenly Laiondite screamed, and clutched at Corinth's shoulder. She pointed to the ground where a dead usul lay, and not too far from him lay a pteri. Corinth walked over to each of them. He knew at first sight that the usul was dead, but when he walked over to the pteri he saw it move. Corinth picked up the pteri, which groaned, and he handed it to Laiondite. "He still is alive." Corinth said, "He only has a broken wing." Corinth took one last look at the usul, and then he continued with Laiondite close behind him, Laiondite holding the pteri.  
  
At dawn they got their first glimpse of me. Tarnox and I had just woken up, and we were on our way towards Teralk's fortress when Corinth and Laiondite spotted me. "I bet that she is the one who poisoned my brother." Laiondite said ready to run out, and jump on me.  
  
"Wait Laiondite!" Corinth said. "Lets find out where she is going first. Then we can grab her." They followed me all the way to Teralk's fortress, and then they watched me go inside. "Lets try and find a way inside that is not guarded."  
  
"There probably is not an unguarded entrance." The pteri said faintly. Laiondite and Corinth looked in amazement at the now awakened pteri. "I am Bakel, and who might you two be." The pteri said.  
  
"I am Corinth, and she is Laiondite." Corinth said to Bakel.  
  
"Princess Laiondite?"  
  
"Yes, I am the princess. I have come here to get the zafara who murdered my brother." Laiondite said.  
  
Bakel looked from Laiondite, to Corinth, " I will help you in your quest for the zafara. I owe it to you for not leaving me to die in the forest. Lets try and find a weak spot on this fortress." They walked around the fortress looking for a way to get in. when they reached the back of the fortress they heard the clashing of swords from the guards and me as we fought. They heard Tarnox's screech as he flew through the window, and they looked up in time to see the arrow pierce him and with a squawk, him fall to the ground not too far from their feet.  
  
Corinth walked up to Tarnox, "I have seen this airax before, but I don't remember where."  
  
"It is the zafara's airax. That airax almost killed me!" Bakel yelled.  
  
Tarnox suddenly started to wiggle on the ground panting. Laiondite whispered, "Look the airax is still alive."  
  
Tarnox tried to get up, but then he fell down. Then he started to talk, "In trouble. Everyone. in trouble!" Tarnox said panting from just those few words. He tried to get up, but when he tried he fell to the ground once more with an agonizing screech.  
  
"The poor thing" Laiondite said picking up Tarnox. Quietly she said, "Airax, what do you mean when you say that everyone is in trouble."  
  
Tarnox opened his eyes, their hazel color clouded by his tears of pain. "Zarrel trapped and. and she is in. in trouble. Teralk. want to kill. father. Be king. of. all." and then with a gasp for air, Tarnox closed his eyes, and lay still.  
  
Corinth sat there thinking, "Well obviously the Zafara is in some kind of trouble. Most likely from that Teralk guy. Though I don't get the kill father of king part."  
  
Laiondite wrapped Tarnox up in a towel that she had, and then said, "I bet that the Zafara knows what that means. We must get to her."  
  
"But how?"  
  
Bakel walked over to Laiondite as they sat trying to think of a way to get to me, "While you two were sitting there I searched the walls, and I found an area in the wall that is old, and had cracked, giving us a path into the fortress. The crack is small, but I still believe that you both can fit in if you try."  
  
"Okay," said Corinth picking up his sword, and walking over to the crack he said, " lets go!" Corinth squeezed in through the wall after Bakel, and Laiondite who barely made it by with her large usul tail followed them both. They walked out into a large courtyard with many trees and bushes lined up against the walls. Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps. "Someone is coming. Hurry into the bushes." Corinth yelled ducking under a large bush.  
  
From the bushes all three of them watched as a number of guards run by. One of them was talking as he ran by. "I knew that the zafara was trouble. I would have told the boss, but he probably would have thrown me into the dungeons for telling him what to do. Instead we had to wait for the zafara to attack the boss, and get her airax shot. So she finally got what she deserved, to be locked up in the dungeons."  
  
As the last two guards ran by, a usul and a zafara, Corinth hit them on their heads with the flat of his blade putting them unconscious. He dragged them into the bushes before anyone noticed. "What did you do that for?" Bakel hissed at Corinth.  
  
"I figure that we can put their uniforms on, and then get by the guards unnoticed. Since there aren't any pteri's around here for you to take Bakel, we will pretend that you are our prisoner, and that we have to take you to the dungeons. This way we can make it up to the zafara, and find out what her airax meant by what he said."  
  
"You can put that uniform on Corinth, but I can't," said Laiondite. "If you were paying attention you would have noticed that there are not any females around here, and I definitely would have been picked out at not being a real guard. I will just go as another one of your prisoners Corinth."  
  
"Enough talk Laiondite and Corinth, lets go."  
  
Before long they were walking out of the bushes, with Corinth dressed as one of Teralk's guards holding Laiondite and Bakel captive.  
  
Once they got inside the main building they wandered around aimlessly until a guard stopped them. "You have walked past this area twice. Where are you headed soldier?"  
  
Corinth held his head high, "I am to take these two prisoners to the dungeons, but have forgotten where they are. Can you lead me in the right direction?"  
  
"Yes I can young zafara. The dungeons are just up these stairs." And he pointed up a stairway, and Corinth started up them holding Laiondite and Bakel in front of him. The guard took another look at Corinth. He looked at Corinth's helmet, and at his shoes. "Wait, you are no guard!" and the guard pulled out his sword and ran up to Laiondite, Corinth, and Bakel. They ran up the stairs higher and higher towards were I was locked up with the guard gaining at their tails.  
  
When it appeared that the guard would get them Corinth turned wielding his sword, "You two get to that zafara. I'll hold this guard off."  
  
Laiondite nodded and continued to run up the stairs with Bakel on her shoulder, until they came to a large room, and at the end of the room a door stood. "That must be were they are holding the zafara"  
  
Back to me sitting in my cell.  
  
I griped the bars that were across the window, my eyes blurry with my tears for Tarnox. I looked on to the ground where some guards were running across the courtyard, and started cursing at myself. Why couldn't I have stopped that archer from firing his arrow? Maybe then Tarnox would still be alive.  
  
My eyes suddenly caught something. Coming from some of the bushes was three creatures: a zafara, a pteri, and a usul. It looked like some creatures had breached Teralk's security, because they didn't have his colors on. I watched as they made their way around Teralk's HQ until they were out of sight.  
  
I sat on the floor of my cell, which was covered with old straw that smelled of mold. I tried to think of a reason why some creatures would sneak into here, but could not think of any reason why. Then after pushing Tarnox into the back of my mind I started to try, and think of a way out of my cell.  
  
I got up and pushed on the bars of the window, but they were completely firm, so I headed over to the door. I pushed and knocked on the door, but it was solid oak. I looked through the tiny, but bared window like thing on the door, and through it I could see the keys hung up on the wall next to my pack and my dagger. They were on the other side of the room so I sat back down in the hay all glimmers of hope gone.  
  
As I sat the memories of Tarnox came back to me again. A single tear fell down my cheek, but before another one came my ears pricked at the sound I heard. I could hear the pat patting of footsteps, and the clinging of steel against steel. I jumped up, and rushed over to the door to look through the small window.  
  
I looked through in time to see Laiondite run up from the stairway with a pteri on her shoulder. She ran up to my cell door, and looked at me with disgust, "You're the zafara that murdered my brother."  
  
"There is no time for anger Laiondite. You have to let me out Laiondite, because you are all in danger!" I told her, for I had to warn her about the attack. That Teralk planed on her kingdom.  
  
"Why would I believe you? You are nothing, but a lire, and a..." but she didn't get to say anything else, for a guard walked in holding Corinth who was wounded.  
  
"A maiden? This shouldn't be to hard." The guard said lifting his sword. "You will be even easer to get then that yellow zafara.  
  
I couldn't let her be captured, so I yelled to her, "Use my blade Laiondite. It is on the wall." She nodded, and ran over grabbing the dagger. She lifted it completely wrong, and I could tell at first glance that she was inexperienced, and would quickly be beaten so I yelled, "Toss me the keys, and I will help you out."  
  
"Shut up zafara!" the guard yelled at me, and Laiondite took that time to grab the keys. She started to run towards my cell door, but the guard turned, and tripped her as she ran by making the keys go flying. They hit the ground, and bounced up again going a few more feet before coming to a complete stop right in front of my cell door.  
  
I reached under the door, and grabbed the keys bringing them inside of my cell. I then reached through the window of the door for the lock. I stretched out my arm as far as it could go, but I still couldn't reach the lock. I was going to try once more when I saw the pteri standing right by my hand.  
  
"I pulled up a chair so that I could reach the lock. Now hand me the keys, and I will unlock the door. We need you to rescue us."  
  
"Okay." I said handing him the keys. He picked up the keys in his beak, and walked over to the lock. He barely managed to get the keys into the lock and turn them, but he did, and the lock came off allowing me to open the door.  
  
The guard grabbed my dagger from Laiondite's hands, and threw it across the room. The dagger landed right at my feet where I picked it up twirling it in my fingers. "I think that you should release her." I said to the guard, "Someone could get hurt if you don't."  
  
"Your right," he said dropping Laiondite on the ground, "and that person is you!" he ran at me holding his sword straight at me. I waited until the last second, and then I ducked to the side swinging my blade. With a gasp the guard crumpled to the ground, so with him gone I walked over to Laiondite.  
  
"Are you okay?" I said as I helped her up  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, but it's Corinth that I worry about." She said pointing to Corinth who was slowly getting up clutching his side.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll make it." He said.  
  
I grabbed my pack, slinging it over my shoulder, while Laiondite picked up the pteri putting him on her shoulder. "Lets go." I said, "Anytime soon this place will be crawling with guards." And I started to lead them out of Teralk's HQ.  
  
We ran down the stairs, and then I stopped. "What's the hold up?" the pteri said.  
  
"I haven't been in this area of the fortress before." I said looking at the three passageways ahead of me. "I don't know what path to take."  
  
"Stop. You are to remain where you are!" we looked down the far left passageway to see several guards running up towards us.  
  
"Just take one of them!" Corinth said, and he started to run down the far right passageway. We started to follow him when he suddenly turned around. "Wrong way, turn around!" I looked down the passageway, and saw why Corinth turned. Some of Teralk's guards were running up.  
  
"The center passageway! Hurry!" I yelled, and then I started down the passageway. Several times I had to stop and wait for Laiondite and Corinth who was slow because of his injuries. If they didn't hurry up they would be captured. I urged them on down the stairs, for I could here footsteps and the scuffling of guards as they made their way towards up. We reached the bottom of the stairway just as I got my first glimpse of the guards that were perusing us.  
  
"I recognize this hallway." I said looking up and down the hallway. "Follow me I know the way out!" and I led them to the exit, which stood at the far end of the hallway. We were almost at the door when three guards jumped out at us. I pulled out my dagger, and each of the guards pulled out a sword. Two of the guards ran at me, and I jumped to the side swinging my blade at them. The third guard ran at my back, which I protected with a backhand stroke of my blade. I saw from the corner of my eye Corinth start to pull his blade from his scabbard, but then he clutched again at his side wincing with pain. Then the guards ran at me again, and I had to work hard to keep them from cutting me to ribbons. I could fight one guard, or even two by myself, but three was cutting the line. I had just deflected another attack from the guards, when Laiondite's voice rang out.  
  
"Help!" I turned to see Teralk's second in command standing next to Laiondite with his blade to her throat. I started to walk towards him ready to save Laiondite, but then he silenced me with a stroke of his free hand.  
  
"Move assassin, and she dies." I had no choice; I had to stop in my tracks. I could think of no way out of this, and I thought that I would be doomed, but sometimes things are not the way you would think that they would turn out.  
  
I looked up, because above the second in command's head a giant spider was hanging by its silk threads. Suddenly the spider dropped onto the second in command's back, and it slowly started to climb up his back. "What are you looking at assassin? If you think that you can get me to turn around you are wrong."  
  
Then I got an idea. "Well just in case you want to know you have a giant spider on your back." I said as calmly as I could hoping that he, like most sensible creatures, would jump up and down in fright if a giant spider was on their back.  
  
"Your tricks don't fool me." He said, but at that precise moment the spider climbed over his shoulder. The second in command looked down and yelled. Then he started jumping up and down shaking himself trying to get the spider off of him. All of the guards ran up to him, and were trying to help him out, but they only made matters worse. I took that moment to lead Laiondite along with the pteri and Corinth out towards the courtyard where I had seen them enter Teralk's HQ. There were just too many guards at the exit to cope with, and as we were heading off into the courtyard we heard Teralk's second in commands voice faintly yelling, "Get this spider off of me!"  
  
"The courtyard looked empty enough of guards at first glance, but I knew better. "We had better run to the place where you entered this terrible place. There are many archers up on the roof, and they will fire as soon as they see us. You are lucky that they didn't see you when you entered." I whispered to my companions. I just hoped that they could make it those twenty yards or so to the bushes. "On three run. Okay one. two. THREE!" and at that we ran out, and made our way towards the bushes. Then the arrows started to fly.  
  
Laiondite and me were almost at the bushes when I noticed that Corinth was only about halfway. He was holding his side, and it seemed to really be hurting him. Laiondite stopped to look also, but I gave her a shove and yelled, "Keep going, don't wait!" so she made it to the safety of the bushes. Then I ran over to Corinth for he needed my help. Suddenly one of the archers fired a shot straight at Corinth. "Watch out!" but it was too late for Corinth to dodge the arrow, so I jumped at him, and so I jumped pushing him out of the way of the arrow, but not me.  
  
The arrow pierced my side making it feel as if flames had engulfed me. I heard Laiondite scream, and even though I felt like lying down I was not yet dead. I got up and pushed Corinth the rest of the way to the bushes. A few more arrows were fired at us as Corinth crawled into the bushes, but we were able to dodge them. Then I crawled inside. "Well we made it." I said, and then I was engulfed in blackness. 


	4. 4

Part 4  
  
I woke up looking into the sunlit sky. Some clouds were coming up over the horizon, and it looked as if it would rain in a matter of days. I could hear several birds chirping, and saw a few flying overhead. I started to get up, but I fell back to the ground wincing. My side was throbbing from where the arrow had hit.  
  
Then Corinth walked over to me with a damp rag, "So you are awake now assassin. That was brave of you what you did for me. You could have died. You didn't have to risk your life for me." Then he put the rag on my side making it feel all the better.  
  
I let out a choked laugh, "That's what you do when you have a partner, or two." I said eyeing Laiondite walk up, "You risk your lives for each other. By the way my name is not assassin, but Zarrel Charmain."  
  
"Well I am Corinth." Corinth said.  
  
"I already know your name Corinth, just not the pteri's."  
  
"Oh, he's Bakel, but how did you know my name?" Corinth asked dumbfounded.  
  
"Remember when you were back in the castle you met a young working maiden called Skitrey, and. and her airax." I said thinking of Tarnox.  
  
"That was."  
  
"Yes." I turned, and slowly walked into the forest. The pain in my side seamed to leave in my greave. I walked up to a tree and sat down under it. I remembered when Tarnox and I were first off for the castle our last job together. The silky feeling of his feathers under my fingers as I rubbed his head. I really was going to miss him, my dear friend Tarnox.  
  
I was so caught up in my thoughts for my lost friend that I didn't even notice Laiondite walk up until she squatted down beside me. "If it weren't for you we never would have made it out of there with our tails." Then she handed me a cloth rapped around something. "I am very sorry for your loss Zarrel Charmain." Then Laiondite walked away.  
  
Slowly I unwrapped the cloth revealing my lost friend. His feathers once groomed and sleek with a fine shine were now matted and dole. A fine dust had collected in his feathers dimming their dark brown color. A tear slid down my face, and landed on Tarnox forming a small droplet, like dew on the morning grass. I looked into the droplet remembering Teralk's grin as he said that he was going to take over the kingdom. Tarnox gave his life to try and protect what was right. He would want me to stop grieving, and to help to stop Teralk. I slowly wrapped his body back up in the cloth, and put it into my pack. I would never forget him.  
  
I got up, and walked over to Corinth, Laiondite and Bakel, but before I could say anything Bakel cut me off, "That airax, I am sure that he was yours, he said something about some creature, Tekol I think, killing father, and something about being a king. Do you know what this means?"  
  
"Teralk." I whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How long was I unconscious?"  
  
"About a full day Zarrel Charmain." Corinth said.  
  
"Then there is no time to lose! Teralk, he is the evil creature who hired me to destroy your brother Laiondite. Right now he is after your fathers throne. He shall go after your father when he has no protection from your brother."  
  
"We must warn the royal guards!" Laiondite exclaimed.  
  
"There isn't enough time. Teralk has already left with his army. He will be at your castle by the time the sun rises. Corinth, you and I must do all we can to distract Teralk. Laiondite you will come about halfway there with us, and then you will leave for your castle to warn your father. Bakel you are to go with Laiondite. Lets move off!" and with that we set off into the forest going at a brisk pace.  
  
We had gone as little as about two miles when Laiondite stopped. "I need a rest Zarrel Charmain." I have never done so much walking in all my life, and especially at such a fast pace."  
  
"We can't stop Laiondite!" I yelled. "If you want to save your kingdom get up and walk." I got her up, but we had gone only half a mile when she stopped again. "Corinth," I said, "come with me." And I started to walk into the forest.  
  
"Surly we aren't going to leave them?" Corinth said looking astonished.  
  
"Of course we won't leave them. We just have to find a creature or two who can help us in our need, and I know just the perfect creatures for the job." In my long dealings out as an assassin I had made a friend or two of the occasional assassins that I had met along in my journeys. These two particular creatures that I was thinking of were the black uni twins. I had saved their lives a wile ago, and they had said that when I needed them that they would be there for me.  
  
Corinth and I walked the mile or so up to where they lived, and I had to admit it was nice. A waterfall flowed over the edge of a cliff above us, scattering mist all around as the water hit the rocks at the bottom. The mist even formed a small rainbow, which wiggled with the sunlight. "Through the waterfall." I said to Corinth who was looking at the cliff before up. We walked around the small lake the waterfall formed, and up to the edge of the waterfall. I hopped across rocks with Corinth following me right up to a cave hidden behind the waterfall. By the time we walked in, though, we were soaking wet.  
  
The cave was dry and exceedingly warm. Corinth and I walked father into the cave, the darkness enveloping us. "Now who do we have Herupah, two strangers in our cave?" a dark voice echoed throughout the cave.  
  
"I don't know Decorah. Perhaps we should destroy them for just trespassing." Another voice sang out in the darkness.  
  
I knew these two. They would go on trying to frighten us as much as possible until we either left, or keeled over from fright. I looked at Corinth. Though he was barely visible I could see that he was frightened, so I called out, "Herupah, Decorah, I have come to ask of you a favor."  
  
"Zarrel Charmain, we knew that you would come back soon." Herupah said.  
  
"Yes, come out into the light so that you can see better." Decorah said.  
  
"Even though we don't need the suns light to see well." Herupah and Decorah talked like that. Taking turns talking as if they could read each other's minds. For all I knew they might. I never have, and probably never will ask them.  
  
We walked in to the sunlight, and I got my first glimpse of the uni twins in the past three years. Their black velvety fur shone in the sun. Each of their bodies was completely black; hooves, mane, horn, wings and all. Their wings were twice the length of their bodies, and their eyes were about as black as their bodies, then Herupah and Decorah started up again, "Is it just me of has our Friend Zarrel Charmain shrunk."  
  
"Yes, she is definitely shorter then she was the last time I we saw her."  
  
"It is not me who shrunk." I said laughing, "But you who've grown."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Now Herupah, Decorah, I and my friends are in need of you terribly. You know Teralk?"  
  
"Yes, he is very bad."  
  
"He said 'join me or be destroyed'."  
  
"But we were to smart for him."  
  
"We tricked him, and escaped."  
  
"Anyways Herupah and Decorah I need your help. Teralk is trying to take over the kingdom of Laxcorna, and if I know him that is not where he will stop. So I need you two to fly my friends to an area where we can intercept Teralk, and distract him until my friend the princess gets the Laxcornian army over to help us. Can you two help us?"  
  
"Anything for you Zarrel Charmain."  
  
"Yes, anything for you."  
  
Through out all of this, Corinth did not say a word, but then he spoke out, "Zarrel Charmain we must go now." I agreed with him, and we got on to the backs of Herupah and Decorah. I jumped onto Decorah, and told him where to go with Herupah and Corinth following.  
  
We flew over to where Laiondite was resting, and when we landed next to her she jumped back in fright. "Come on Laiondite we must hurry in order to save your father." So she got onto Herupah right next to Corinth and told me that she was ready. Then Bakel got up next to me.  
  
As we flew off I couldn't help notice the fact that it was getting dark. If we didn't hurry it would be too late. I was giving Decorah the directions of where to go when he suddenly said, "The rain will come soon Zarrel Charmain."  
  
Then Herupah flew over next to Decorah and me, "We shall fly as ghosts in the darkness of night."  
  
"In the dark nightmare you shall perish, but live up to the name of the red ghost."  
  
"In a strike of light the end will come to this nightmare."  
  
"Even so it is only the beginning." Herupah finished.  
  
"What was that about?" Bakel asked me.  
  
"It is best not to ask." I said, "These twins may sometimes be strange, but they also have strange powers. The last time I was with them they foretold." suddenly a drop of water hit my nose. Then it started to pour down rain. "Can you fly in this?" I said to Decorah.  
  
"Yes, it is no problem for Herupah and me to fly in the dark and rain."  
  
I looked ahead, but saw nothing. "Decorah, tell me if you see anything up ahead. I can hardly see the red of my fur in this weather."  
  
We flew on further in the night, and I had to trust everything to Herupah and Decorah. Suddenly Decorah yelled out over the crash of the rain against fur. "There is a big lot of creatures below us. They are marching through the cliffs of Eternity through the rain towards Laxcorna. I think that Teralk is there."  
  
"Thanks Decorah. Can you tell Herupah to land? Possibly in a cleared area where we don't have to worry about Teralk." I said.  
  
With a nod Decorah called through the night telling Herupah to land. We landed in a cleared area, and I jumped of Decorah, and walked over to Herupah, "What now?" Laiondite said to me over the rush of the wind and rain.  
  
"I want Herupah to take you and Bakel back to your castle. Herupah, come back as soon as you are drop off Laiondite. I need you to help stop Teralk while he is in the cliffs of Eternity. Corinth you go as an escort, but come back with Herupah. Decorah and I shall be waiting right here. May you go with speed." I yelled, and then watched Herupah, Bakel, Corinth and Laiondite disappear into the night.  
  
I sat staring into the night sky. Then the rain started pouring down much heavier then before, soaking me to the bone. Decorah Walked up to me. "Do not worry Zarrel Charmain, for my brother will return, and all will go well." Then he lifted his wing over me shielding me from some of the rain. 


	5. 5

Part 5  
  
I sat in the rain waiting for Herupah to return, when I heard the unmistakable call of the uni as he returned. Herupah landed next to me, and Corinth jumped off Herupah, "I am ready for what we have to do next." He said to me.  
  
"First of all you will have to get back on Herupah." I said, and then I clambered on to Decorah's back. "Now I have a plan that will have us flying as ghosts in the darkness. Just stay on Herupah's back. Before we fight we will try and frighten our enemy Teralk."  
  
"What will we do?" Herupah asked.  
  
"How shall we help?" Decorah asked.  
  
"First you two shall fly over Teralk's troops, then I will tell you what to do."  
  
"What if Teralk spots us?" Corinth asked me.  
  
"You must have forgotten that it is pouring so hard that we can hardly see our own hands. Also you must have forgotten that Herupah and Decorah are blacker then the night itself." I said scorning Corinth.  
  
Corinth drooped his head for not thinking the matter through. "Sorry I wasn't thinking." He said.  
  
"Don't worry Corinth. Every creature makes mistakes, but for now lets fly!" and with that Herupah and Decorah took flight, and flew through the rain towards the cliffs of Eternity.  
  
The massive forms of rock towered in front of me as Decorah and Herupah flew us through the cliffs. I could not think of a reason that Teralk would take the long and dangerous rout through the cliffs of Eternity until then. He was attempting to attack Laxcorna from behind; where they would not ever expect to be attacked. Suddenly Decorah Jolted to the left, and then slowed extensively almost throwing me off his back. "Zarrel Charmain, there are too many rocks here to fly fast."  
  
"That's okay Decorah." I said trusting him to do his own flying. "I trust that we are close to Teralk."  
  
"Yes, but because we are almost to Teralk can you tell me what you want us to do when we get there?" Decorah asked me. I could tell that he was excited to find out what my plan was.  
  
"Decorah, I need you and Herupah to try and screech like eagles, okay. If you don't think that you can, just try. I want to try, and frighten Teralk's troops. Then we can wait for Laiondite to get her fathers army over here."  
  
"I will tell Herupah what must be done. Then we will fly above Teralk's troops for you Zarrel Charmain." Then Decorah slowed down, and he explained to Herupah who thought the idea to be good. Then we were flying through the rain once more.  
  
"We are over Teralk's Troops now. Shall we start Zarrel Charmain?" Decorah asked me.  
  
"Yes start now." I replied, and then I grabbed hold of Decorah's mane bracing myself. Suddenly Decorah let out a terrible screech that sounded as if it could wake the dead. In fact he sounded like he was the dead come out of the grave. Then Herupah let out a screech that just as terrible, if not more, then Decorah's. They continued to screech, and my plan was working, they were scaring Teralk's troops.  
  
* * *  
  
"Teralk, I can't control my troop. They are about ready to bolt, saying that there is a ghost after them." One of Teralk's captains reported.  
  
"I guess that I will have to show them that there is no ghost at all!" Teralk said walking over with his captain to where the troops were complaining that a ghost was after them. "Listen right here troops." Teralk started, "There is not a ghost!" but suddenly the screeching started up again.  
  
"It's the ghost!" one of the troopers began.  
  
"We should leave! This place is haunted!" another began, but Teralk interrupted.  
  
"Who said that," Teralk looked around, and then he walked up to a kacheek. "You Racal, you can go right now. Any one of you who wants to can leave right now. You can go on, and have that thing pick you off one by one. Or you can stay with me. I can insure you of one thing though, and that is that the ghost is not a ghost!" Teralk looked around at his troops, and not one of them started to walk away.  
  
Suddenly there was another screech, and a black thing flew down in sight for a few seconds, and then was back up before anyone got a close look at it. But as it flew up Teralk saw on its back a red zafara, Me. "Everyone that is no ghost, but it is just that zafara assassin. The next time you hear the screech fire as many rounds of arrows at it as you can!"  
  
"But Teralk," Begin the officer. "My archers can't fire arrows in this weather. The wind and rain will put the arrows off course. We will not be able to hit anything."  
  
"I tell you what you can and can't do, and I say that you can hit whatever is up there, hear!" and Teralk looked even fiercer than normal at that moment with his fire lupe fur all matted from the rain, and each of his razor sharp teeth showing.  
  
"Yes sir." The officer said, and when the screech rang out again "You heard Teralk, fire!" and all of the archers fired at once.  
  
The wind and the rain pushed most of the arrows back at Teralk and his troops, some of the arrows destroying those who fired them. But there was a single chance arrow that flew in front of Decorah's face making him rear up in the air throwing me off.  
  
Teralk heard the screech of what sounded like a uni, and then from the sky a red blur fell and disappeared into the night. Teralk grinned evilly. "You see." He said to his troops, "It was just the zafara. Now we have no one in our way we can get to Laxcorna without any trouble at all!"  
  
* * *  
  
I had next to no time to react when Decorah reared up, so I was thrown off his back. I plummeted towards the ground below, the rain hitting my back, and the wind making my eyes watery. I knew that it was the end, and I accepted it. I was just hoping that Laiondite would get the Laxcornian army out before too long.  
  
Suddenly, I felt a jolt, and I was hanging in the air about ten feet off the ground. It was a miracle. I looked up, and saw my pack, and its strap was hung over a branch while the other end was on my arm. It had saved my life.  
  
The rain was slowly making my bag slide off the branch, but I helped it slide off quicker by giving it a couple of tugs. Then I fell to the ground crouching as I did so, and then I walked towards Teralk's troops.  
  
I could hear Teralk's troops before I saw them due to the low visibility and the echoes that the cliffs made. I could hear the stamping of boots as if it were all around me as. I walked closer to where Teralk was. I had to stop him even if I had to fight by myself. I could not let him take over the kingdom of Laxcorna. I knew that if he took over Laxcorna that he would then move on to another city, and another until he took over the whole of Neopia.  
  
Soon I saw my first glimpse of Teralk's troops. They were soaked, and did not look like they really wanted to fight, but they were afraid to stand up against Teralk. I mostly ignored them, and continued forward towards Teralk. As I walked forwards the creatures backed away. Some of them with their eyes filled with fright, while some of them just backed away staring relentlessly on ahead.  
  
As I walked forward I heard a loud rumble. Looking into the rainy night air I caught a flash of lightning in the distance, and then a few seconds later I heard its loud rumble. The storm was getting worse, but I could not stop so I continued to walk toward Teralk as the flashes of light became more rapped.  
  
As I continued to walk I could hear Teralk yelling, "Why did you stop, and break formation. What is the matter with." He stopped mid sentence and turned. He looked at me, and his face was as white as a pillowcase. "You. I saw you fall from that great height. No one could have survived that fall. No one."  
  
"I saw her fall to. She is a ghost I tell you. Just look." I heard someone in the crowd say with murmurs of agreement. I guess that I must have looked like a ghost right then, with the water dripping off of my ears, and me looking right at Teralk with such hatred like there were not any other creatures in the world.  
  
I pulled out my dagger, which had not fallen out when I fell. "I can not let you take the kingdom of Laxcorna Teralk. Either leave back to your fortress or fight!"  
  
"I have no time to fight you Zarrel Charmain! Guards put this nuisance in shackles!" but not a single one of Teralk's troops came towards me.  
  
I swung my blade at him making him jump back. "Fight or be destroyed Teralk." I said swinging once more.  
  
"I am afraid that it is you who will be destroyed assassin." Teralk pulled out a sword, and stood on his hind legs. If it were not for the fact that my side was throbbing from where the arrow had hit, and that Teralk's sword was three times as long as my dagger I would have had the advantage in this fight, because lupes are slightly clumsy on their hind legs. Even so I knew better then to get cocky, for Teralk never would have become the head of a diabolical corporation if he could not fight.  
  
Each time Teralk swung the sword at me I tended to jump to the right, for my side hurt. Time after time I was favoring my right side due to the fact that not too long ago an arrow had pierced my left side. Teralk ended up noticing this, and he started to use my disability to his advantage. He would swing at my left side, which I could not defend well, and so I had to jump back each time he swung, time after time, putting all the more pain into my side. I could only get a few swings of my blade at Teralk, and then I had to start jumping back again.  
  
I was so busy with trying to keep myself in one piece, that I did not notice the large rock behind me. I jumped back from another one of Teralk's swings of his sword, but while I jumped back my foot caught the top of the rock tripping me.  
  
I fell on the wet ground, muddy from all the rain. My whole hand that was holding the dagger was covered in mud making it seem as if I had lost my dagger. Then Teralk walked up to me, a flash of lightning with instant thunder right behind him. "So it seems that you have lost Zarrel Charmain. Pity that you could not have worked for me any longer." Then he raised his sword above my head ready for the destroying stroke, but before he could strike me I jumped up slashing him across his face, and then slipping back into the mud.  
  
"That was for Tarnox!" I said.  
  
Teralk then looked down at me growling. I had cut a gash across his face from his chin to his left ear slicing half of that away. He kicked me in my left side hard making me cringe in pain dropping my dagger, but this time for real.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud neighing, and Herupah and Decorah landed not ten meters away from Teralk. I was glad to see both of them safe with Corinth. Herupah yelled out over the storm at Teralk. "The sword you hold shall be your downfall."  
  
Then Decorah yelled, "Once it is raised, the light will end it all."  
  
"Let the zafara go, and you shall not be punished."  
  
Teralk looked at Herupah and Decorah, and then started to raise his sword. "Don't try and frighten me with all of your fake prophecies. Once I take care of this zafara let it be known that you will be next!"  
  
"Very well." Herupah said.  
  
"We warned you." Finished Decorah.  
  
"Hah! Fakes they are just fakes!" and Teralk raised his sword ready to strike it down on me. I covered my face ready for the worst when suddenly a large bolt of lightning struck down right on Teralk's sword.  
  
The lightning threw me back several feet, and I shielded my eyes from its blinding light. I heard a long howl from Teralk, which cut into the night like a knife cutting through butter, and then the thunder boomed. It echoed across the narrow passageway making the rocks around the cliffs of Eternity rumble, and start to fall.  
  
A few rocks fell towards me making me back up, and as I backed up I felt some thing sharp poke me, so I reached down into the mud and pulled out my dagger. More and more rocks started to fall, and Teralk's troops were scattering everywhere to avoid the avalanche of rocks. I was just trying to think of a way out of the narrow passageway when Decorah appeared besides me. "Climb on Zarrel Charmain." And so I climbed up onto Decorah's back.  
  
"I am ready. Lets get out of here!" I yelled, and Decorah spread his wings scattering rain off of the wing feathers, and he took off. Decorah dodged left and right around the falling rocks missing some by only a wingtip. Suddenly we were above the line of falling rocks, and I looked down to see the rest of the cliff collapse. "Did Herupah and Corinth make it out of there?" I asked no one.  
  
"Yes, we made it!" I turned, and could make out through the rain Corinth riding atop Herupah. Then I looked towards the ground. Some of Teralk's troops had escaped on the farther edge of the cliffs, and were making their way towards the forests to hide, however most of the surviving troops were on the near side of the cliffs.  
  
Suddenly I heard the few words that I had been waiting for all night. "The Laxcornian army has arrived!" the army marched up with Laiondite at their lead, and while they marched up to the collapsed area of the cliffs Decorah and Herupah landed. Corinth jumped off of Herupah, and ran up to Laiondite. "We have done it! We have defeated Teralk!" then he turned to face me, but I had already disappeared.  
  
I rode atop of Decorah watching as the Laxcornian army collected all of the surviving members of Teralk's troops. Then I whispered into Decorah's ear, "Now we can go." And we flew off into the stormy night leaving not a trace to follow. 


	6. 6

Part 6  
  
The sun was on my back warming me to my core. I stood leaning against a tree overlooking the wooden cross that marked Tarnox's resting spot. I had finally let go of my dear friend Tarnox who had stayed with me through thick, and through thin. "I shall miss you my dear friend." I said, for I really was going to miss him.  
  
The sun was slowly sinking in the horizon making the beautiful reds, pinks and blues in the sky when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Corinth walking up to me, "I thought that I could find you here Zarrel Charmain." He said. "I come here to give you your invitation from princess Laiondite. She says that you are welcome to live in the castle, for you did save us all."  
  
"Tell her that I would not go even if I had wanted to. I am the assassin who destroyed their prince. No matter what is said, others would always look down upon me." I said continuing to look at Tarnox's resting place. "Besides once you have been an assassin you can't quit. I would never be able to leave the forests and open areas for life in a castle. It just is not the life for me. I shall continue to live life as I always have, as an assassin."  
  
"Okay." Corinth said, "But before I go I must tell you. Remember Bakel, the pteri with the broken wing. Well his wing has mended, and he is now the royal messenger for Laiondite who now is next in line towards the thrown. And Zarrel Charmain, I have been made commander of the Laxcornian army. I bid you farewell." Then Corinth started walking off into the forest.  
  
"Wait!" I yelled, and he turned around, "Tell Laiondite that there is an unofficial peace treaty between myself and Laxcorna."  
  
"I won't forget to tell her." And then Corinth disappeared into the trees.  
  
* * *  
  
After Decorah and Herupah flew off with me we headed towards their home. "You have paid me back far more then I ever could have asked. If you ever need a favor just ask me." I told them as they walked behind the waterfall.  
  
Then right before going into the cave Decorah looked at me, and said, "The time will come someday when we ask of your help, but for now you still need our help. You have to let go of your friend, for he never will come back. Zarrel Charmain it is time to move on."  
  
Then Herupah said from inside the cave, "Stay at your friends resting spot until the mornings light shines upon an object of great worth."  
  
"That thing is the key to finding new friendship." Then Herupah and Decorah disappeared into the depths of their cave.  
  
The rain had cleared up by morning and the sun shown bright in the sky. I stood on a hill that gave a clear view of the sunrise. The clouds were pink and blue, and the sky was all sliver and gold. The sunrise looked as if it were the first sunrise that Neopia had ever witnessed.  
  
I looked into the morning sun, and I knew that that was the spot to burry Tarnox. I set to work, and had finished by the afternoon, and then I waited. I would stay at that spot until morning the next day, because if there was one thing I had learned it was that the black uni twins had powers to see things, and I trusted them. So here I am sitting at the foot of Tarnox's grave just as the last rays of sun disappear behind me and the first stars come out.  
  
As it got darker I lay on my back, and looked at all the millions of stars twinkling in the sky. I wondered what was on each one, and how many that there were in all; it was something that I used to do with Tarnox on cold winter nights. So I sat there, and thought myself to sleep.  
  
The chill of the morning air woke me up. I lay shivering in the cold grass wet from the morning' dew. Then I remembered what Herupah and Decorah had told me. I bolted straight up, and was glad to find that the sun had not risen yet. I sat there watching as the clouds passed overhead for about twenty minutes, but to me it seemed like an eternity waiting out there on the grass.  
  
A flash of yellow, and the sun showed its tip peeking over the horizon. It went farther and farther up into the sky, and I started to think that nothing at all was going to happen, and that Herupah and Decorah were wrong. But then the sun rose just a little more, and showed all of itself. Just then I saw a flash of light from underneath a pine tree at the bottom of the hill.  
  
I rushed down the hill excited to what I might find under the tree. I reached the tree, and at first I saw nothing, but I would not give up that easily. I started to dig in the pine needles that had collected under the tree.  
  
I was digging deeper and deeper into the ground when I suddenly felt something hard, but warm under my fingers. The surface of the object was bumpy like a rock, but as smooth as the feathers on Tarnox's head. I slowly and carefully pulled the object from its resting spot. The thing was a lot heavier then I expected that it would, so I took even longer pulling it out. I almost had the object out, and I could see its silvery surface glitter in the sunlight. I tugged one more time, and the thing popped out. I stared at it sitting on the ground in front of me. Ovule shaped, warm to the touch and silvery all over; it was an egg.  
  
I moved over to its side, and put my ear up to it. I could defiantly hear something moving around inside. Even so, I had to keep the egg warm if I wanted it to hatch. I had to travel back to my home, and the egg would get cold if I held it in the cold air the entire time, so I thought up a way to keep the egg warm. I tried to put the egg inside my pack, but the egg was too big to fit, so I took some fabric from my pack, and wrapped it around the egg then I held the egg next to my dagger where my body heat would keep the egg warm. I then started the journey homeward.  
  
As I walked towards home it started to get windy, and then as the sun went down it started to get cold. I myself could stand the cold no problem, but I was not too sure about the egg. I did not know how much an egg could take, so I wrapped both arms around the egg, and then I walked the last few miles towards home.  
  
I reached home when the moon was directly above my head, and the night was colder then ever. I unrolled my sleeping mat, and crawled into it putting the egg next to me for warmth. I just had to keep that egg warm.  
  
I opened my eyes to the warmth of the sun, and to a dawn breeze that ruffled my hair, so with a yawn I got out of my sleeping mat, and held the egg next to me. It felt unusually warm that fine morning, and it seamed as if something was moving inside. I knew that that day would be the day, the day that the egg hatched.  
  
As the afternoon set in it got warmer and warmer until it seamed as if an egg would cook its self if I threw it on the ground. It was at that time that I knew that something was up with the egg. The egg was slightly wiggling on the ground, and I could hear a light sound from inside it.  
  
Then it happened; I saw the first cracks in the egg. At first it was one crack, then two, then three, and soon there was too many to count. I sat next to the egg waiting for my first glimpse of what might be inside. Even though the sun was scorching my fur I was ready to wait any amount of time to see that egg hatch.  
  
After about one hour of waiting with the sweat from the hot afternoon sun was dripping down my forehead, I heard a small peeping start to emerge from the egg. Then a few of the cracked pieces fell from the egg revealing a small orange beak. I could not wait any longer, so I pealed the eggshell from the creature's head getting my first real look at the creature.  
  
It looked at me with its large eyes. It had two feathery clumps on its head, which made ears, and a fuzzy green mane below its neck. It squawked, and looked up into the sky making its egg fall back with the top falling off. Its four green paws, which were held up against its body, stretched up into the air now freed from the egg, and its tail uncurled, the fuzzy end tickling my nose. Then it rolled over on to its feet, and stretched two green-feathered wings out. It was a male green eyrie.  
  
The eyrie cooked his head at me, "Mother?" he said in a small voice.  
  
"Not really." I said to him, "You can just call me Zarrel Charmain, but if you really want to call me mother you." but I never got to finish that sentence for the eyrie jumped on me.  
  
"Mother Zar. Mother Zarrel Charmain!" And then the eyrie wrapped his paws around me, hugging me making me smile. It was the first real smile that I had had since Tarnox, and it was all because of a little eyrie.  
  
"You need a name little guy." I said tickling his belly. "How about. Dorono." I said remembering the name that I had used for Tarnox while infiltrating the castle.  
  
"Dorono, Dorono, Dorono!" the young eyrie called out. "I like that name mother Zarrel Charmain!" I watched him dance around on the grass, and smiled. Decorah and Herupah were right. I did find an object that was of great worth, and Dorono was my key to new friendship. I owed Decorah and Herupah more then I ever could ever give in one lifetime.  
  
I sat in the grass looking at the sunset with Dorono. Like the sun this would not be the end of my adventures, for just because the sun sets does not mean that it would not come back the next day. Using my wits and my blade I will live life as an assassin should. Even though I lost Tarnox, I have gained Dorono, and with him I will work. Even if I wanted to I could not go and live in the castle with Corinth and Laiondite, for the blood of an assassin runs in my veins. I must continue on this way because I am Zarrel Charmain. Because I am the zafara assassin. I am known as the red ghost to my victims, and the best in the job to my employers. Master of disguise, my job always will be to target and destroy whomever I am assigned to.  
  
The End 


End file.
